CONNECTIONS MISS OUT ON PINK BONUS OPPORTUNITY

FEBRUARY 5, 2025: INSTEAD of being “in the pink”, they’re feeling rather “blue”!

Connections of Hawkesbury two-year-old Sheeza Diva should be chasing a $400,000 Pink Bonus in Saturday’s $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick – but have only recently discovered the filly isn’t eligible.

The bonus goes to the first eligible youngster home, and she would have had only one rival.

Husband and wife Mitch and Desiree Kearney train the Pierro filly, who they bought for $15,000 at the Inglis Classic yearling sale 12 months ago with the intention of landing the bonus with her.

The couple has never had a runner in a feature race, let alone worth a cool $2m ($1.155m to the winner).

To be in line for the $1m Inglis Pink Bonus Series – of which there are four races, with Saturday’s Millennium carrying the richest of them – a horse must be eligible for, fully nominated and paid up for the Inglis Race Series and be a minimum 75 per cent owned or leased by females.

But there was also another condition. A registration form had to be submitted by 5pm on September 1 last year – and that’s where the Kearneys missed out.

“We paid $5500 for Sheeza Diva to be eligible for the Inglis Race Series when we bought her, and asked at the time if anything else had to be done,” Desiree Kearney said today.

“We were told everything was okay, and didn’t find out until recently that we were supposed to fill out a registration form.

“The form was filled out and submitted, but obviously it was past the deadline so we aren’t eligible.

“Even the people from Tyreel Stud in the Hawkesbury Valley, which offered Sheeza Diva at the Classic sale, didn’t know anything about the registration form either.

“It’s a real kick in the guts.

“We didn’t have a big budget for last year’s Classic sale, and had $20,000-$25,000 to play around with.

“A number of yearlings which had been picked out went through the ring and were way above what we could afford.

“I had seen this Pierro filly, and marked in our catalogue that she was a bit on the small side, but well put together and very eye-catching.

“Once I saw her again in the pre-parade area, I knew she was the one for us.

“Being a Pierro filly, we were surprised to get her for $15,000.”

Sheeza Diva has raced twice, finishing fifth, after being in the firing line throughout, to Millennium rival Rivellino at Randwick on January 4 in a 2YO Maiden Plate (1000m), and then fourth to Golden Slipper favorite Wodeton in a 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens a fortnight later.

Winona Costin has ridden her in both races, and also partners her on Saturday.

“Admittedly, Sheeza Diva was a fair way from both winners in those races and we’re not expecting her to win the Millennium,” Mrs Kearney said.

“But the Pierro stock really improve with blinkers, and she will race in them on Saturday.

“We put them on her in a track gallop last Saturday morning, and she went super, sitting off stablemate Lady Shenanigans (an eight-times winner) and was too good at the end.

“What is so disappointing is that there is now only one horse (Victorian youngster Bubion) eligible for the Pink Bonus.

“We were pretty confident going on her work last Saturday that we could have picked up the $400,000.”

Desiree Kearney said it was tough ringing Sheeza Diva’s syndicate members yesterday to tell them that the filly wasn’t eligible for the bonus.

“Fortunately we have a fantastic group of owners, who took the news on the chin and are still excited about running in such a big prizemoney race at Randwick.

“The ladies (Desiree Kearney is also a part-owner) all had their pink dresses arranged, and still intend to wear them to the races.”